That ancient Opinel makes me smile. Worn, but carefully sharpened over the years. It’s obvious the owner valued that knife. You don’t bother personalizing a knife otherwise.
I’ve enjoyed reading your stories. Thanks all.
I wonder if any of our children or grandchildren will have similar memories of us and our knives.
I realize I did not answer you.
The story is that after WWII my Grand'Pa worked as fort des Halles (no translation found). he was unloading meat lorries at the Parisian Halles. But he caught tuberculosis and had to go in a sanatorium for months. He made like soldiers awaiting for the end of military service, a "notch" each month before the end, until they receive the "quille" (skittle).
At work he used the knife cutting heavy ropes, or textile in which beef carcass were enclosed before unloading (hence the "fort" name
) and cutting the butcher's choice he brought home (onglet, hampe, araignée).
He was dressed more like the man standing with the white apron, with a white round cap and a white cloth covering the shoulder and neck the side he used to lift and wear the meat.
Later he worked as meat clerk, a much less tiring work. I spent a few night with him during holidays when I was a teen-ager, waiting in a bistro eating an onion soup, with all the night people then living and working in Paris' belly !
The large sombrero-like hat was for those working in the vegetable s/flowers dept, just folklore at the end.